Photo by Arnaud Thierry Gouegnon

With the Ghanaian Black Stars making it further than any other African team in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, young boys throughout Ghana have been inspired by the game of football.

In the fishing district of New Takoradi, children can often be found at the seaside practising their soccer skills. Young boys give themselves the names of their idols in the national team and mark the goal posts with their country’s flag, small indicators of the pride they feel to be Ghanaian.

For these children, football is not only a way to pass hot afternoons at the beach, it is preparation for a dream that they nurture of one day being able to represent their country as soccer heroes like those who made it to the World Cup quarter finals.

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Publication rights to this feature are available from Africa Media Online.